They used to put a lot of the old comedy's on forces TV but the channel ended last year. I used to love to watch all the old comedy's on that channel. Thank you for sharing these clips and happy new year to everyone
Love watching these unearthed programmes list I have a dvd collection of nostalgic gems which I stick on when I fancy a trip down memory lane. Keep up the good work 👍
The Management was a premise that wore thin after half a dozen 2 minute sketches. I remember wondering at the time how they'd get a whole 30 minute sitcom out of it.
I discovered "That's Love" through this and have watched the whole series. An absolutely brilliant comedy and way ahead of its time. It would be considered dark even today but, for its time, it truly pushed the boundaries. Thank you this channel for that experience.
Definitely remember That's Love, even though its been off our screens for so long. Was quite overjoyed when it appeared on UA-cam last year before it was sadly taken down. I remember Liza Goddard putting in an eye-catching performance.
I remember, 'Father's Day', well. Particularly the Christmas episode in 1983, as I recorded part of it onto cassette tape! It was actually quite funny. Like you, I've not been able to find any footage of it anywhere. I also remember, 'Hilary', although I didn't go out of my way to watch it, or record it on cassette tape. 'The Magnificent Evans', was one of those ones you missed if you blinked as it was only on for one short series. It didn't surprise me that they made a series of, 'The Management', on Channel 4, (the channel that seemed quite desperate to find anything, 'alternative', in the way of comedy, even if it wasn't exactly funny), but I never watched it. Same goes for, 'That's Love.' Some of these series just never really gelled with me.
I remember liking "That's love" (God knows why, I was only about 12 or 13 when it was on). The Refuge sounds like something Channel 4 would put on nowadays.😂😂
I remember most of them! How about "Pull The Other One!" a pre Boon Michael Elphick plays a Brummie supermarket manager who tells his mate in the pub what he and his family have been up to! One series made by Central around 1983!
I remember "The Magnificent Evans" and was a big fan of "Father's Day" which was a good dramatization of Hunter Davies's column of the same name in one of the Sunday Supplements - Sunday Telegraph Magazine, perhaps? Always an amusing read.
I remembered Hilary, the Magnificent Evans, Young at Heart, The Management, and The Labours of Erica. Or at least I remembered that they existed once I saw this video. Young at Heart was partly filmed in my home city. They were all disappointing as I recall.
Really enjoy your channel, only remember the magnificent Evans from those, but I wouldn't class Hale & Pace as comedy or even mention them in the same breath as Ronnie Barker.
I can recall nearly all of these. The Labours of Erica was written by Norris and Fegan specifically for Brenda Blethyn after she starred in their other show 'Chance in a Million'. Fathers day was rather good - along with Treasure Hunt and Countdown it was one of the few things worth watching on Channel 4 in its formative period. I'd love to see all of these old sitcoms - for good or for bad repeated on a digital channel dedicated to the genre.
Well, that's it. My own fault for going with the click-bait header, but I clearly remember Hilary, The Labours of Erica and The Magnificent Evans. These are not all obscure shows by any means.
Just when I thought the title would prove true, you go and put That's Love at the end - absolutely adored that one, and remember it very fondly indeed! Still, 9/10! :-) Bet you can't find a clip of Leslie Ash in The Happy Apple (which I am sure no-one remembers except me).
I remember it. She played a secretary for the heads of an ad agency "the Happy Apple" and hits gold as the "Average woman" to test out their slogans to great success. Nicky Henson was also in it and a running jokes Nancy (Ash's character) thinking Mozart's "Eine Kline Nachtmusik" was the Albanian National Anthem. It also served as the show's theme tune played and sung by Chas & Dave, as only they could (Nancy is a Private Secretr'y/In an advertisement Agency).
"Nancy was a working secetary in an advertising agency..." to the tune of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Leslie Ash's Debbie saved advertisers doing research because she was so average. I remember The Happy Apple quite well.
I remember a 'comedy' programme with Nick Wilton and Clive Mantel called Hello Mum. It was very bad, but I couldn't stop watching it! To my utter astonishment in the last episode the cast turned to the camera and begged Michael Grade (then Controller of BBC 1) to comission a second series, but he didn't. Good call Mr. Grade.
I can remember a so called comedy about a dentist( he dressed up for children). It lasted one series , well nearly. It was canned during the run after being shifted to late night TV.Think it was called GUMS.
Father's Day was based on the weekly Punch column of the same name by Hunter Davies. These were humorous accounts of real family life situations in which he wrote about his real children using their real names. (Everyone's names were changed for the sitcom, but the characters were essentially the same) It might not seem relatable, but the reason John Alderton's character is a writer, is because Hunter Davies is a writer. I only remember watching the sitcom once or twice. It didn't really do justice to the brilliant column.
Inadvertently watched a scene from the Magnificent Evans being filmed on the road outside my garden, but did not know for what reason or who the large middle-aged gentleman was in the car.
Only remember Hilary, Management, That's Love and journals of Erica. Girls on Top is a comedy that's lost in time as well as the infamous Hardwicke House, cancelled by ITV after the first or second episode. All 7 planned episodes are on UA-cam. Worth a watch.
A sitcom in a women's refuge! Good grief, I thought. Then came the rest of the list. Nope don't remember any. Where do you dig these up from. Keep 'em coming.
I remember a few of these. Don’t rock the boat I actually own on DVD and That’s Love is one I’ve managed to track most episodes down on UA-cam. Hilary was great and one of forgotten about. The Management obviously a spin-off from Hale and Pace, but the rest are a blank
I quite liked The Management, it had some good moments. I also have good memories of Father's Day. That One Ronnie thing stunk almost as much as Barker's myopic painter and d3corater (or whatever he was) Cedric or Cecil or Cyril or whatever he was called. Loved an affliction did old Ronnie.
I remember Young At Heart. The theme song, sung by John Mills, was released as a single and it got to 60-something in the charts. I remember another sitcom starring Liza Goddard, from 1979, called "Watch This Space", in which she played an advertising executive, married to another advertising executive at the same firm. The scripts were... not very good.
I wonder how many people remember Mogg. or Hardwicke House (I think that's what it was called). Neither lasted long. I remember one called Roll Over Beethoven, (named after the song obviously) starring Nigel Planer and there was another one where the bloke becomes a some sort of lord as well which I cannot for the life of me remember the name of.
I only remember The Management because I watched it and The Magnificent Evans because a few Ronnie Barker shows were released on The Magnificent Evans. I remember Jimmy Mulville being in a sitcom set in the modern day 80s but I never watched it. I knew him from Who Dares Wins.
I wonder how many Oscar winners have, later, appeared in UK sitcoms? It's a bit of a shock seeing John Mills appear. I was a bit surprised that Bob Hoskins wasn't mentioned as the narrator in Big Jim and the Figaro Club. I am, however, heartened that my distaste for anything Hale and Pace related is not misplaced judging by that garbage.
I think the woman from Refuge was the woman from Return of the Jedi...The one that talks about the death star plans stolen by Bothan spies....I also noticed her recently in an old episode of Midsomer murders...
I actually don't remember any of them! At least from original airings. I only know of The Magnificent Evans from the Ronnie Barker Collection which featured Open All Hours, Porridge, Going Straight, Seven Of One, Clarence and The Magnificent Evans. Had that set for nearly 18 years now....still not watched that sitcom though!
Ronnie Barker, sadly, did some absolute rubbish in later life - I remember The Magnificent Evans and Clarence, both of which were dire, one-‘joke’ programmes. I liked Hunter Davies’ Father’s Day columns in The Times - I didn’t realise they were made into a tv series.
Wow. As I am in the US, I’ve only seen Ronnie Barker in Open All Hours. But wow….he was a true master of many accents. Amazing.
Yep, you got me, don't remember any of these.....but my Dad had the remote control during the 70's and 80's, so we watched what he wanted to watch
They used to put a lot of the old comedy's on forces TV but the channel ended last year. I used to love to watch all the old comedy's on that channel. Thank you for sharing these clips and happy new year to everyone
Yeah I only just discovered it and started enjoying Selwyn Froggit when they closed it down!
'That's Tv' (channel 183 on Sky) is showing a lot of relatively obscure stuff. Well worth checking out.
@@vasilypugh696 - Thanks I’ll take a look.
Managed to hit "keep" in my sky+ for the entire run of Get Some In!
It's still on the Virgin basic package.
I remember one of Channel 4’s first comedies starring Patrica Hayes called ‘The lady is a tramp’..Patrica Hayes plays a elderly down and out lady..
Love that Ronnie Barkers Welsh sometimes comes out a bit Pakistani. It's not just me then!
I thought the same!
My God we did turn out some crap didn’t we?
Love watching these unearthed programmes list I have a dvd collection of nostalgic gems which I stick on when I fancy a trip down memory lane. Keep up the good work 👍
I always enjoy seeing the actors that you don't really know their names but they was in everything albeit bit parts ,they're just so recognizable
What brings me out in a cold sweat is thinking about the sitcoms that were worse than these that didn't even get commissioned!
The Management was a premise that wore thin after half a dozen 2 minute sketches. I remember wondering at the time how they'd get a whole 30 minute sitcom out of it.
And they say Peter Kay doesn’t rip off old ideas!
Most Channel 4 80s sitcoms (other than Comic Strip) could be forgotten) until Drop The Dead Donkey came around
That’s Love was an excellent series over a number of years with great writing…
Young at heart the actor in the clip is now in Corrie. He plays Roy.
He was married to Chock-a-block and Playschools Carol Leader in this.
I discovered "That's Love" through this and have watched the whole series. An absolutely brilliant comedy and way ahead of its time. It would be considered dark even today but, for its time, it truly pushed the boundaries. Thank you this channel for that experience.
Definitely remember That's Love, even though its been off our screens for so long. Was quite overjoyed when it appeared on UA-cam last year before it was sadly taken down. I remember Liza Goddard putting in an eye-catching performance.
I remember, 'Father's Day', well. Particularly the Christmas episode in 1983, as I recorded part of it onto cassette tape! It was actually quite funny. Like you, I've not been able to find any footage of it anywhere. I also remember, 'Hilary', although I didn't go out of my way to watch it, or record it on cassette tape. 'The Magnificent Evans', was one of those ones you missed if you blinked as it was only on for one short series. It didn't surprise me that they made a series of, 'The Management', on Channel 4, (the channel that seemed quite desperate to find anything, 'alternative', in the way of comedy, even if it wasn't exactly funny), but I never watched it. Same goes for, 'That's Love.' Some of these series just never really gelled with me.
Father's Day is based on the columns in Punch which were written by Hunter Davies, some of which were later compiled into a book with the same title.
A clip of Liza Goddard would have been a cracking start to 2023!
Fathers Day had a theme tune sung by Paul Young, vaguely remembering this one
I remember watching this, and always thought the theme tune contained the word c0ck! I’ve searched for this for years!!
"One with an earring; one with a crop." !
I remember liking "That's love" (God knows why, I was only about 12 or 13 when it was on). The Refuge sounds like something Channel 4 would put on nowadays.😂😂
It would be considered transphobic these days.
5:31, its Roy Cropper!
9.59 "This must be Gary" ha ha i'll have to look this up!!
Father's Day was a wonderful column in Punch magazine but didn't translate to the screen at all well.
It's mad to think now that there was a world before the Internet. No choice but shite TV sitcoms etc
I remember most of them!
How about "Pull The Other One!" a pre Boon Michael Elphick plays a Brummie supermarket manager who tells his mate in the pub what he and his family have been up to! One series made by Central around 1983!
Sadly. Sheila White only out lived Davenport by a few years
Well done, first list you’ve surprised me with, yes I knew some but 👏
Brenda Blethyn was worth a portion 😍
Remember Chintz a sitcom starring Michele Dotrice.
Certainly do - Richard Easton from The Brothers played her husband - was broadcast in July 1981.
Thanks and happy new year to my favourite channel and all the footers
Happy new year! - A bit late I know :)
I remember "The Magnificent Evans" and was a big fan of "Father's Day" which was a good dramatization of Hunter Davies's column of the same name in one of the Sunday Supplements - Sunday Telegraph Magazine, perhaps? Always an amusing read.
I remember Hilary its a shame there was no clips.
I remember The magnificent Evans and The labours of Erica.
Yeah, I can see why those are mostly forgotten :D Happy New Year TFOOS!
"The labour's of Erica" sounds like a older version of "My name is Earl"..... kind of.. ✌
Young at heart is that Roy Cropper in The pub talking to John mills?
Not sure if you’ve had this already but there is Sitting Pretty, a John Sullivan sitcom that flopped.
Sheila White was bloody gorgeous.
First noticed in the sitcom "Dear Mother, Love Albert".
Died aged only 69. R.I.P.
Never understood why the confession movie makers choose her to play the nagging wife??
A young Roy Cropper from Coronation Street there with John Mills.
I remembered Hilary, the Magnificent Evans, Young at Heart, The Management, and The Labours of Erica. Or at least I remembered that they existed once I saw this video.
Young at Heart was partly filmed in my home city. They were all disappointing as I recall.
I used to like 'Hilary'. I wish some of these obscure shows would appear on the BBC archive.
Really enjoy your channel, only remember the magnificent Evans from those, but I wouldn't class Hale & Pace as comedy or even mention them in the same breath as Ronnie Barker.
This may be a fever dream, but I swear there was briefly a Father's Day comic strip in Look-In magazine.
I remember the last one.
I can recall nearly all of these. The Labours of Erica was written by Norris and Fegan specifically for Brenda Blethyn after she starred in their other show 'Chance in a Million'. Fathers day was rather good - along with Treasure Hunt and Countdown it was one of the few things worth watching on Channel 4 in its formative period. I'd love to see all of these old sitcoms - for good or for bad repeated on a digital channel dedicated to the genre.
Well, that's it. My own fault for going with the click-bait header, but I clearly remember Hilary, The Labours of Erica and The Magnificent Evans. These are not all obscure shows by any means.
Just when I thought the title would prove true, you go and put That's Love at the end - absolutely adored that one, and remember it very fondly indeed! Still, 9/10! :-)
Bet you can't find a clip of Leslie Ash in The Happy Apple (which I am sure no-one remembers except me).
I remember it. She played a secretary for the heads of an ad agency "the Happy Apple" and hits gold as the "Average woman" to test out their slogans to great success. Nicky Henson was also in it and a running jokes Nancy (Ash's character) thinking Mozart's "Eine Kline Nachtmusik" was the Albanian National Anthem. It also served as the show's theme tune played and sung by Chas & Dave, as only they could (Nancy is a Private Secretr'y/In an advertisement Agency).
@@ianharrison3662 Aw bugger. Someone else remembers it. No chance of it showing up in a future video, now! ;-)
"Nancy was a working secetary in an advertising agency..." to the tune of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Leslie Ash's Debbie saved advertisers doing research because she was so average. I remember The Happy Apple quite well.
I should have read the other comments before I bothered typing that!
@@Gmackematix ...in fact, at this rate, there'll be enough demand to justify a DVD release...
good fawlty towers gag , made me chuckle
I remember a 'comedy' programme with Nick Wilton and Clive Mantel called Hello Mum. It was very bad, but I couldn't stop watching it! To my utter astonishment in the last episode the cast turned to the camera and begged Michael Grade (then Controller of BBC 1) to comission a second series, but he didn't. Good call Mr. Grade.
I didn't forget any of these, I never heard of any of them.
Well I have to admit the only one I heard of was Hilary and I can’t remember much of that one. Great video.
"Would you still love me if I were a carpenter" was the highlight of the Management series.
Dead Ernest ,Colin's sandwich.
The Gaffer.
5:29 Roy from Corrie... Always looked like a dead ringer for Terry Gilliam.
i remember dont rock the boat and hilary , young at heart as well and thats love so i didnt do to bad lol
I can remember a so called comedy about a dentist( he dressed up for children). It lasted one series , well nearly. It was canned during the run after being shifted to late night TV.Think it was called GUMS.
That sounds like a good name for a naughty video?
Big Jim and the Figaro Club is a BBC Radio Comedy, that comes around on BBC Radio 4 Extra, every now and again.
Good work. I don't know any of these.
Happy new year mate
You were right, I'd never heard of any of them - thank god!
Definitely had a thing for Liza Goddard back in the day.
Father's Day was based on the weekly Punch column of the same name by Hunter Davies. These were humorous accounts of real family life situations in which he wrote about his real children using their real names. (Everyone's names were changed for the sitcom, but the characters were essentially the same) It might not seem relatable, but the reason John Alderton's character is a writer, is because Hunter Davies is a writer. I only remember watching the sitcom once or twice. It didn't really do justice to the brilliant column.
I love Hunter Davies. I have a large collection of Pick of Punch
Big Jim & the Figaro club. I was certain I'd seen this recently. I was half right. BBC Radio 4Extra played the radio version about a year or so back.
Inadvertently watched a scene from the Magnificent Evans being filmed on the road outside my garden, but did not know for what reason or who the large middle-aged gentleman was in the car.
Loved big Jim and the figaro club glad I missed out on Hale and Pace sitcom
What was not mentioned was Bob Hoskins as the narrator in Big Jim and the Figaro Club.
@@TheEulerID well spotted just had another listen...
"I calls on Figaro!"
Only remember Hilary, Management, That's Love and journals of Erica.
Girls on Top is a comedy that's lost in time as well as the infamous Hardwicke House, cancelled by ITV after the first or second episode. All 7 planned episodes are on UA-cam. Worth a watch.
Ok, you got me on most of these except The Magnificent Evans and The Labours of Erica.
I just about remember Hilary. My memory got jacked when you mentioned the Mynah bird
A sitcom in a women's refuge! Good grief, I thought. Then came the rest of the list. Nope don't remember any. Where do you dig these up from. Keep 'em coming.
Out of these the only ones I remember are The Management and That's Love. The Management was even available of VHS at one point.
I remember a few of these. Don’t rock the boat I actually own on DVD and That’s Love is one I’ve managed to track most episodes down on UA-cam. Hilary was great and one of forgotten about. The Management obviously a spin-off from Hale and Pace, but the rest are a blank
Roy cropper he was in boys from the black stuff before this
I remember 'Hilary', 'Don't Rock The Boat', 'The Magnificent Evans' and 'The Labours Of Erica'.
The Two of Us with Nic Lyndhurst perhaps
Desmond's, loved Desmond's in the 1980 s or 1990's. Oh and No Problem from like 1981! But people have heard of those. Red Dwarf 1988 was cool too!
I quite liked The Management, it had some good moments.
I also have good memories of Father's Day.
That One Ronnie thing stunk almost as much as Barker's myopic painter and d3corater (or whatever he was) Cedric or Cecil or Cyril or whatever he was called.
Loved an affliction did old Ronnie.
Channel 4 commissioned a lot of shit since its inception. Nothing's changed.
I definitely do remember Hilary, Young at Heart and the Magnificent Evans.
8:04 The Labours of Erica...
It is 70's, but have you covered "life begins at Forty", notable for DereK Nimmo's remarkably prescient impression of Jacob Rees-Mogg?
Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg. Why?
I remember Young At Heart. The theme song, sung by John Mills, was released as a single and it got to 60-something in the charts.
I remember another sitcom starring Liza Goddard, from 1979, called "Watch This Space", in which she played an advertising executive, married to another advertising executive at the same firm. The scripts were... not very good.
I wonder how many people remember Mogg. or Hardwicke House (I think that's what it was called). Neither lasted long. I remember one called Roll Over Beethoven, (named after the song obviously) starring Nigel Planer and there was another one where the bloke becomes a some sort of lord as well which I cannot for the life of me remember the name of.
Both of those are in this playlist - somewhere... ua-cam.com/video/MSgdgk1VDJA/v-deo.html
I only remember The Management because I watched it and The Magnificent Evans because a few Ronnie Barker shows were released on The Magnificent Evans. I remember Jimmy Mulville being in a sitcom set in the modern day 80s but I never watched it. I knew him from Who Dares Wins.
I remember some of them
I remember 3 of them x
I remember the management remember being really disappointed I was only a kid
I wonder how many Oscar winners have, later, appeared in UK sitcoms? It's a bit of a shock seeing John Mills appear.
I was a bit surprised that Bob Hoskins wasn't mentioned as the narrator in Big Jim and the Figaro Club.
I am, however, heartened that my distaste for anything Hale and Pace related is not misplaced judging by that garbage.
I think the woman from Refuge was the woman from Return of the Jedi...The one that talks about the death star plans stolen by Bothan spies....I also noticed her recently in an old episode of Midsomer murders...
Yes, Mon Mothma in Jedi also Lady Patience Hardacre in Brass with Timothy West.
Caroline Blakestone.
@@AtheistOrphan I never forget a face...names, on the other hand... 😂
@@caeserromero3013 - Many Bothans died to bring you that information.
@@AtheistOrphan And the saddest part was I could have just googled it 😂
I remember Father's Day - I'm sure the theme tune was by Squeeze
Brenda Blethyn was a bit of alright wasn't she. My god I'd forgotten?
I remember a sit com with Richard Briers he lived in a converted prison and I think he may have been in a wheelchair. Anybody else remember this?
If You See God Tell Him?
4:02 I don't remember this but I do recognise the name Harold Snoad
He directed "Keeping up appearances"
@@Benjiesbeenbetter. that's where I've seen his name. thanks!
for years iv'e been looking for an 80s sit com , the only info i have is that the lead man was a mr. de'ath , can you help please ?
I've got one from the 70s.... the Chinese detective anyone remember it .??
David Yip as Det Sgt John Ho.
Where's BOOTLE SADDLES
Starred.Kenneth Cope if I can recall?
@@byronmills5952 yep ... LOL
Hale and pace the management was vert funny
That's love was dire.
A young Roy Cropper!
Also The Strangerers, a Sky 1 comedy from Rob Grant of Red Dwarf fame but wasn’t all that good to be honest
I actually don't remember any of them! At least from original airings. I only know of The Magnificent Evans from the Ronnie Barker Collection which featured Open All Hours, Porridge, Going Straight, Seven Of One, Clarence and The Magnificent Evans. Had that set for nearly 18 years now....still not watched that sitcom though!
Would 'Blot on the Landscape' count as a 80's sitcom?
I'd call that a comedy drama.
Ronnie Barker, sadly, did some absolute rubbish in later life - I remember The Magnificent Evans and Clarence, both of which were dire, one-‘joke’ programmes.
I liked Hunter Davies’ Father’s Day columns in The Times - I didn’t realise they were made into a tv series.